Students strut ‘All Around the World’

After a clear and crisp day outside, students headed indoors to see the latest global and local fashions at the Black Student Union’s Around the World Fashion Show on Saturday, April 14.

Co-sponsored by the Indian Student Association, Haitian Student Association, Union Latina and the Association of Students For Africa, many outfits, accessories, shoes and hats were dazzling on display.

Marcus Allen, a junior journalism and professional writing major and Zuri Gill, a senior psychology major, hosted the fashion show, hyping up the crowd as they went along.

The show first showcased the fashion of Lagos, Nigeria. Lagos is cultural and fashion hub in Nigeria, similar to New York City in the U.S., according to the BSU’s slideshow presentation.

Students from the BSU had the crowd mesmerized as they embraced glossy and vivid dresses. Several males walked across stage with slick swagger and crossed their arms in the trendy “Wakanda Forever” salute from “Black Panther.”

The show then transitioned to the culture of Havana, Cuba. Students from Union Latina sizzled the stage with glaring white tank tops, sharp glasses, red dresses, pinstripe pants and snazzy sundress hats.

Afterward, the show moved to Mumbai, India. According to students of the ISA, Mumbai is a fast-paced, bustling city compared to the many rural communities of India.

With this in mind, the organization showed off colorful dresses, vivid scarves, fabric mats and a sky blue dress.

At intermission, Sarah Bennett, president of Black Student Union and a junior English and elementary education double major, held a raffle for clothes worn at the fashion show.

The fashion show then transitioned to the latest outerwear of Brooklyn, New York. To the tune of Kanye West’s “Black Skinhead”, students revealed messages such as “Follow your fucking dreams” on the back of a shirt. Next came jackets, black sweatpants, white Nike Free Runs, fedora hats and a white rain jacket stating “Fuck Fear” on the back.

The show then headed west to Philadelphia to demonstrate the style of RIVERISWILD LLC, a clothing company with offices in Los Angeles and Philadelphia.

Students sported colorful streetwear like a red, navy, brown and black long sleeve shirt and yellow pants. The long sleeves had the company’s logo sitting vertical at the right.

Last but not least, the show highlighted the styles on the street of Trenton, New Jersey. With the DJ bumping Kanye West’s “Dark Fantasy,”, students walked across the stage displaying iconic sports and band names on their clothing. Some of the sportswear included a Michael Jordan Chicago White Sox jersey, an Allan Houston New York Knicks jersey and a Chicago Bulls shirt showcasing the Bulls’ 1996 trio of Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman.

Students also paid homage to musicians like Notorious B.I.G., Pink Floyd and AC/DC. Among others, a few students wore Tommy Hilfiger athletic wear, camo jeans, black shirts and Air Jordan I sneakers.

“It was cool to have something to do for the weekend,” said Melissa Synsmir-Zizzamia, a junior chemistry major and fashion show participant. “I never have walked in a fashion show before. Honestly, this was the only reason why I stayed home this weekend. We even did a photoshoot which made all of us super pumped and meeting all the different designers was very cool as well.”